The article reported that, “The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasingly willing to increase reimbursement rates for managing the care of the high-need, high-cost patients with chronic conditions,” according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Urban Institute.

The article stated that this is noteworthy because until a few years ago, Medicare didn’t pay doctors for tasks that weren’t part of a face-to-face visit—things like taking a phone call from a patient after hours or communicating with other providers about a patient’s care—activities that can take up a quarter to half of a primary care physician’s day.

McFarland said, “Providers should start making a point of asking the payers, health plans and networks they contract with what tools and services will be available to help them better manage patients with chronic illnesses. Bottom line: Successful management of such populations requires access to the right data—real time data that shows whole patient health.”